§ 21. Colonel Wedgwoodasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any and, if so, what difficulties are being put in the way of the Palestine Jewish Colonisation Association by the Government in their efforts to break up the large 351 holdings on their own lands so as to secure more intensive cultivation and an opportunity for more men to work on the land?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreThe High Commissioner informs me that he is not aware of any difficulties placed in the way of the Palestine Jewish Colonisation Association by the Government in this respect, and that the local representative of the Association is not aware of any such difficulties.
25. Mr. David Adamsasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that intense disappointment is felt by the Jewish community in Palestine at the small proportions of the labour allocation, which bears no relation to the economic absorptive capacity of the country which was to have governed the regulation of labour immigrants; and what steps are proposed to remove this discontent and prevent any check to expanding industry and the investment of capital in Palestine?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreI am unable to add anything to the reply which I gave, to the hon. Member for. Wolverhampton, East (Mr. Mander) on 9th June, except that I cannot accept the assertion in the hon. Gentleman's question that the labour schedule bears no relation to the economic absorptive capacity of the country. It was fixed in fact in accordance with this very condition.
Mr. AdamsIs the Minister aware that there is serious discontent in Palestine owing to the shortage of labour required through the allocation of the numbers permitted?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreNo, Sir; certainly not. I am aware that there are both Jewish and Arab unemployed on a considerable scale, and that that is the reason; and so far from there being a shortage of labour, there is an excess of labour.
§ Sir Archibald SinclairDoes the right hon. Gentleman say that the economic capacity of Palestine for the next six months is only 220?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreNo, Sir. The High Commissioner and his advisers assess the economic absorptive capacity for the present four months, April to July inclusive, at 670.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydDoes my right hon. Friend realise that any measures that may later be taken to safeguard the interests of Arab labour will receive overwhelming support in this House and the country; And does he not deprecate questions of this kind prior to the publication of the Palestine Report?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreIt is not a question of safeguarding Arab and Jewish labour, but of the accurate interpretation of a basic document, namely, the MacDonald letter, which governs the rate of immigration of any kind into Palestine at six-monthly intervals.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreYes, Sir, absolutely.